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Kickstarter suspends Don Simpson ’s Megaton Man graphic anthology over four innocuous pages by Persian comic book artst Milo Trent
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UPDATE : A Kickstarter spokesperson has distinguish Bleeding Cool , regarding the fall out article " We would never decline a project based on a creator ’s heritage . As a U.S. base business , Kickstarter is required to comply with U.S. trade restriction , include sanctions that restrict business activeness in certain countries like Iran . As such , the project was in the beginning flag as potentially nix under these swap restrictions , and reject on that base . However , after further review , we are able to approve the project to go live on Kickstarter and have transmit this directly with the creator . " the original article follows belowand a follow up can be found here .
" Last night , Kickstarter suspended the launch of our campaign for Megaton Man : Multimensions , a 214 - page treasury - sized anthology of sixty contributors , flagging it for " safe and faith " because one of our contributor happens to live in Iran . I am not groveling to Kickstarter or its algorithm . Kickstarter is not a atomic number 27 - editor in chief or originative consultant on this project . Milo Trent is on the cover version of Megaton Man : Multimensions and has four bright pages out of 214 brilliant page , and I ’m not removing them . I spent all of 2024 , part of it live on preservation , to shepherd a undertaking that was leave for all in , turn it into an anthology of contemporary reality - class cartoonists of which we can all be proud . Kickstarter need to excuse to me why I would still require to work with them or bank them . Kickstarter is censoring this project , and every originative creative person contemplate working with them — filmmaker , comic Good Book publisher , or otherwise , need to understand this . Among Kickstarter ’s concerns was the inquiry , " What is your date with individuals in Iran , if any ? " Presumably , they ca n’t take , because it ’s passably clear from the FAQ that one of our contributors happens to live within the confines of that nation . "
Here are the four page in question , and the lotion screencaps .
" The publisher liaised with Kickstarter and informed me by and by on Friday that our project had been decline , attach the next screencap : "
" Further inquiries did not shed any sparkle on their reasoning , which presumably was non - existent . ( It was unclear whether any further charm were possible , since the message seemed conflicted on that point . ) uncalled-for to say , there had been no warning beforehand that the country of origin of a cartoonist would be a non - starter , and there were no instructions whatsoever as to how we might " improve " our undertaking to better meet Kickstarter ’s necessity and convention . As the publishing firm afterwards mention to me , " Our biggest geological fault was being majestic of our diverse , world - spanning originative team . " On Friday eventide , several people integral to the project contemplate on potential strategies and options . On Saturday morning ( this dawn , as I write this ) , I wrote directly to the " Senior Outreach Lead , Comics " :
" I do n’t believe we ’ve ever met , but perchance you ’ve heard of me . My name is Don Simpson , and I ’m the Maker of Megaton Man , a fictitious character and serial celebrating its fortieth anniversary . For the preceding year , I ’ve been work onMegaton Man : Multimensions , a 214 - page crossover anthology boast the likes ofAlan Davis(Excalibur , Batman and the Outsiders),Stephen Bissette(Swamp Thing , Tyrant),Jim Rugg(Cartoonist Kayfabe),Chris Ecker(Big Bang Comics , Knight Watchmen),Dean Haspiel(Chest Face , Red Hook ) … you get the idea . I ’m leaving many of the sixty contributors out , but they are ALL cc’d on this electronic mail . "
" The task is being release by Eli Schwab and Cosmic Lion Productions , which has had many successful Kickstarters ( G.H.O.S.T. Agents , Giant - Size ' 63 , and more ) . The integral project is 100 % land up , laid out , and quick for wardrobe . Here ’s a link to the complete PDF : The book is beautiful , a no - brainer , and would likely already be fund by now and then some . It may also interest you to know that The Complete Megaton Man , Volume I from Fantagraphics Underground of late fill out a successful crowdfunding campaign on another weapons platform for an sole hardback edition , exceeding the destination in three hours before I was even aware the cause had plunge .
" Am I to sympathise that your algorithm flagged this task because of the discussion " Iran " ? ( Yes , we have a contributor who sleep together American comics and has impart four pages — he has also give to several late successful Kickstarter projects . To date , no one has yet figure how to give him the meager promised page rate , but I do n’t think that ’s an issue . He just loves American comics that much . ) Do you have any idea how stupefied you and Kickstarter flavor , just in the eye of the people who are CC’d on this electronic mail ? Do you have any idea how dazed you are pass to look in the eyes of the all-inclusive cartoon strip community ? ( Would you wish me to strike down some of those epithet for you ? Because after forty long time , I roll in the hay just about everybody — not only in comic but in the wide medium , who are chomping at the scrap to get their hand on a story as ludicrous as this . ) I ’m going to take you jolly please to get your point out of your ass and reconsider the status of Megaton Man : Multimensions – and immediately expedite approval forthwith ? Remember , a mass of eyes are on this task and your response mighty now . In any case , please hold back stress to transmit official U.S. foreign policy — you’re simply not qualified . "
Other creators speak out for Megaton Man
They have had no response , and neither have I to constrict enquiries I made to Kickstarter over the weekend . Dan Shahin , atomic number 27 - writer withMilo Trenton some of the infract Page , narrate me " How about doing that thing that you do where you crusade for justice ? Kickstarter is canceling a project for the simple reason that one of the creators hold up in Iran . I wrote several of the page in question in Don Simpson ’s project , and we also collaborated on a piece of music for the recent 1963 fan book . This is a grave Injustice at a sentence when that sort of thing necessitate calling out . Please help if you may . "
Don’s1963co - creatorSteve Bissettestated , " Spread the Good Book : Kickstarter has refused longtime amigo Don Simpson ’s publishing projection ( and a momentous one it is , too ) because one of the task contributors lives in a country now BANNED even mention of . Even on appeal ( such as those are even permitted ) , Kickstarter resist the project because of a word — the name of a country — nothing else . I kid you not . This is insane . incense . Demeaning . What have we become , as a nation , since mid - January ? "
Philadelphia - base comic leger creatorAmanda Stella PowersofSupertopia , also shape on theMegaton Manbook , tell me , " I have been working closely with Dr. Don since the idea came into fruition in the fall of 2023 . For over a year , we collected contributors , formed an editorial board , and edit the work with love and dedication . The overall collection of piece of work make up a broader community of interests of gifted and attentive writers and artists coming together to both keep Don ’s interesting collection of eccentric from MEGATON MAN , BORDER WORLDS , and BIZARRE HEROES . Naturally , some of the work is controversial . We hold up LGBTQ+ , diversity , and comprehension — in other words , an anti - Trump United States — in our original set of tale . In improver to showcasing part from Alan Davis ( EXCALIBUR , BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS ) , Stephen Bissette ( SWAMP matter , TYRANT ) , Jim Rugg ( Cartoonist KAYFABE ) , Chris Ecker ( BIG BANG COMICS , KNIGHT WATCHMEN ) , and Dean Haspiel ( CHEST FACE , RED HOOK ) , Don has munificently allowed newcomers like myself to write and get his characters and/or team them up with their own indie IP characters . Who does this and trust and mentors " newbies ? " No one ! ! ! Just Don Simpson , the patron anti - ideal of iconoclasts ! To proceed , with esteem for you and a feel of rich disappointment in Kickstarter , I plead with you to shed journalistic igniter on a darkly unexpected present moment that has arrest us at the very instant we intended to celebrate with a launch party . Don prepare a press release praising all of the contributors ' efforts . We started shoot high spot of contributor to partake more about the creators . Alas , Kickstarter resist our project because of the involvement of Milo Trent because they baselessly feared his affaire would kick in to somehow fund Iran . But Don is a man of honor and speciality and he refused to take the talented Milo Trent ’s pages out of the task . As a whole , the editorial squad and MULTIMENSIONS contributor are standing resolutely behind Don in solidarity to find another way to specify up a crowdfunding on another platform to publish the work through Cosmic Lion Press . "
Don Simpson responds, Kickstarter does not
" What is laughable about this situation is that Kickstarter can not even enounce a reason for their actions , even though their initial inquiry clearly tell their concern — the nationality of one of our sixty contributor . Even after " human limited review , " they can not articulate what can be done to " improve " our project to " well satisfy [ their ] requirements and prescript " ( which are nowhere even stated in regard to their concerns ) , or even where we are in the " appeal " operation . We literally have no idea ( a ) what rule(s ) we violated , ( b ) what is within our magnate to " correct " , or even ( c ) whether we have already run out of appeal . Since the publishing company was already in contact with the Outreach Lead for Comics and tell a bunch of nonsensical gobbledygook even before I strain out directly to the Outreach Lead myself , my sense is that their determination in final . Folks have suggest I wait until after the Easter vacation , but I do n’t see the dot . The irony is I ’m middling positive we would already be funded by now and contemplating stretchability goals . This is my first interaction with Kickstarter and looks like it will be my last . "
Bleeding Cool await forward to Kickstarter looking again at this issue and would happily publish any response they would wish to make .
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